Pajarito Mountain Ski Area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pajarito Mountain Ski Area | |
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| Location: | New Mexico, USA |
| Nearest city: | Los Alamos, New Mexico |
| Coordinates: | |
| Top elevation: | 10440 ft (3182 m) |
| Base elevation: | 9000 ft (2743 m) |
| Skiable area: | 280 acres (1.13 km²) |
| Runs: | 40 20% Beginner 50% Intermediate 30% Advanced/Expert |
| Lift system: | 7 total ( 1 Quad chair, 1 Triple chairs, 3 Double chair), 2 Rope Tow |
| Terrain parks: | 1 |
| Snow fall: | 125 in/year (3.17 m/year) |
| Web page: | http://www.skipajarito.com/ |
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area is located in the Jemez Mountains in north central New Mexico, west of Los Alamos. It is located on 850 acres (344 hectares) of privately owned land. The Los Alamos Ski Club (LASC), a non-profit organization, owns and operates Pajarito Mountain. A typical season runs from Christmas to early April, but an outstanding season may run from Thanksgiving to late April. Pajarito Mountain currently does not have Snowmaking, but a proposal to provide this capability has been approved by the LASC membership. An extensive network of single and double track mountain bike trails criss-cross the mountain, including a new singletrack trail going to the summit. Season passes are available with discounts available for early season purchase.
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[edit] Origin of the name
Pajarito means "little bird" in Spanish and was first associated with the area by the archeologist Edgar Lee Hewett who was in turn inspired by Tsirege, which means "bird place" in the Tewa language. Tsirege is a prominent archaeological site located on property owned by Los Alamos National Laboratory.
[edit] History
Pajarito Mountain first opened on 23 November 1957 with no toilets, no water, no grooming, no modern lifts and a few short slopes. The Aspen run received a T-bar for the 1962-1963 season. An additional 400 acres of land were purchased in the late 1960's and the first chairlift installed on the Spruce run for the 1969-1970 season. A similar two person chairlift was installed on the Big Mother run for the 1976-1977 season. A beginners lift was installed for the 1981-1982 season, and a triple chairlift replaced the T-bar for the following 1982-1983 season. Construction of the new Ski Lodge began in the summer of 1987 and was finished for the 1988-1989 season. A quad chairlift was completed in 1994 for the Townsight run.
[edit] Elevation
- Base: 9,000 ft. / 2,743 m
- Lodge elevation: 9200 ft. / 2,804 m
- Summit: 10,440 ft. / 3,182 m
- Vertical Rise: 1,440 ft. / 439 m
[edit] Trails
- Skiable Area: 280 acres (113 hectares)
- Trails: 40 total (20% beginner, 50% intermediate, 30% advanced/expert)
[edit] Lifts
- 1 quad chair lift
- 1 triple chair lift
- 3 double chair lifts
- 2 rope tows
[edit] Facilities
- Equipment Rental
- Retail
- Cafe
- Snowsports School
- Ski Patrol: Volunteer, NSP affiliated
